Headgear for athletes



H. M. PIERCE.

HEADGEAR FOR ATHLETES.

APPLICATXON FILED SEPT.22, 1920.

Patented Apr. 5,1921.

I ll l k br l' l ll res PATENT @FFTQE.

HOWARD MADISON PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING & BROS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY,

HEADGEAB FOR ATHLETES.

aramie.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed September 22, 1920. Serial No. 411,917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. France, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Headgear for Athletes, of whlch the following is a, specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Head-gears for athletes, and particularly football players, having ear flaps, are in general use. Such gear, however, being intended for the head, and requiring an adequate degree of bulk and stiffness for protection, should be adjustable in some way to accommodate itself to heads of different sizes. It has been proposed to effect this adjustment by splitting the head-gear along a line above the forehead and providing laces along the meeting edges whereby the head-gear might be drawn snugly around the head of the wearer. With such an opening, however, there remains an element of real danger since when the meeting edges are split apart the laces alone rest over the opening. Further, the construction is one which makes for weakness. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved head-gear which shall be readily adjustable and yet shall present no line of weakness nor fail to give complete rotection at all points. In accordance witi the invention openings are formed at the sides of the head-gear in line with the ear flaps and the flaps are made of novel construction. so as to over-lie the openings when the head-gear is in place so as to protect the head and yet permit some degree of adjustment for size. These ear flaps at their free edges'are engaged by draw strings for ti htening the head-gear as it is adjusted. ccordingly, the ear flaps perform a dual function and meet thedifiiculties heretofore experienced in forming a simple inexpensive and protective heail-gear capable of ready adjustment to headsof different sizes.

Reference is now to be had to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of a practical embodiment of the invention, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the improved head-gear, the laces being removed from one of the ear flaps.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the head-gear shown in F ig. 1, the lacing being shown in place.

The head-gear comprises generally, as usual, a circular portion a adapted to pass around the head and a crown section b which may be formed with ventilating holes 6. At the rear of the circular portion a; may be secured a depending flap a which over-lies the neck and base of the head. At the opposite sides of the circular portion a are carried ear flaps 0 adapted to be drawn into place and retained with the head-gear by an adjustable strapd, all in a manner well known. The prlncipal object of the present invention is to make the circular portion an adjustable to heads of different sizes without sacrificing any degree of rotection. In realizing this ob ect the ear aps c are formed of peculiar construct on so as to serve the purpose of maintaining the head-gear in adjusted position on the head and over-lying openings therein through which the adjustment size is efiected. 'The head portion a of the gear is split at one or both sides in line with one or both ears so as to give such a spread as to enable the gear to fit heads of different sizes. These splits are shown as two in number in the illustrated embodiment and illustrated generally at a a Each ear flap c is secured to the head-piece a along one edge only, as indicated by the line of stitching at 0', so that its other edge is free to carry eyelets 0 through which might pass a lacing c for securing the ear flaps adjustably in place. The lacing 6 passes through eyelets a formed in a strip a which is fastened permanently to the head-piece a. Each ear flap 0 overlies the split of, a at its side of the gear so as to close the opening when in place and protect the head com letely. That portion of each ear flap 0 which over-lies the openin in the head band a is preferably lined witi padding, as indicated on one of the flaps at 0 while the lower portion of the same ear flap preferably has stitched thereto only a rib 0 padding to receive the ear;

In use, it will be evident that the band a of the head gear is adjusted for. the size of the head of the wearer by adjusting one or both of the lacings 6, these lacings when adj usted serving to maintain the ear flaps c in proper position over the openings a a and thereby insure effective protection for the wearer.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

What I claim is:

1. In a head gear a head band split at one side, an ear flap secured to the head band at one side of the split section and means carried with the ear flap to draw it over the split section adjustably and secureits free end to the head band.

2. In a head gear. a head band having split sections at opposite sides in line with the ears, ear flaps secured to the head band at one side of the split sections and means engaging the ear flaps and the head band to secure the flaps adjustably across said split sections.

3. In a head gear a head band split at opposite sides in line with the ears, ear flaps having padded portions over-lying said split sections and stitched at one edge to the head band, lacings carried with the ear flaps along their free edges, and eyelets carried with the head band to receive said lacings.

This specification signed this 21st day of Sept. A. D. 1920.

HOWARD MADISON PIERCE. 

